bridging the analog-digital gap in geology
DESCRIPTION
Slides from my talk at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Engineering Geologists, Stateline, Nevada, September 24, 2009.TRANSCRIPT
Bridging the Analog-Digital Divide in Geology
P. Kyle HouseNevada Bureau of Mines and GeologyUniversity of Nevada
Miocene paleogeography by Ron Blakey, NAU
You say you [don’t] want a revolution? Too bad.
• The [geo]sciences are undergoing an incremental technological revolution
– Change more inevitable with each graduating
class
– Heightened expectations of end users
– dogmatic and pragmatic resistance
Improved collaboration, visualization, and dissemination will ultimately enrich our
science tremendously
Geologic Mapping as Example
• Data Collection:
– digital photos, digital ink, gps, LiDAR
• Data Interpretation and Development:
– GIS, virtual globes
• Data distribution:
– Web publication, collaborative GIS, data
sharing
Smart geologic maps can be your friends!Integrated with topographyMultiple layersInteractiveCollaborativeEasily updatableInteroperable / distributable
First-order transition from dumb map to smart map is a huge step
Virtual globes are a giant leap
Middle Owyhee River, OR
Making a smarter map is easy, bro!
Adapx.com
Using analog ink to create digital data…
Livescribe.com
Your field traverses are a rich data source
The uncanny obviousness of geotagging your field photographs
• You are a geologist.• You take pictures of things
because of both what they are and where they are.
• There are simple ways to embed location into photos.
• Start tomorrow.
More on the utter obviousness of geotagging
Check out ‘geosetter’
Geotagged photos made simple by Google
Instant kml karma
Not geotagging your field photos is stupid!
Gigapixel Photography: Made for Geology
Double Spring landslide complex, Owyhee River, OR http://gigapan.org/gigapans/30814/
Just Google: ‘Owyhee Gigapan’!
Essential Tools for Office
Compilation
Wacom Cintiq 21uxWorth every penny.
Digitizing Tablet: goodDigitizing LCD Panel: amazing
You can’t sign your name with a computer mouse.What makes you think you can map with one?
Visualization and Compilation with Virtual Globes
The best reason for a second monitor, or one really big one
A little LiDAR can help…
Double Spring landslide complex, Owyhee River, OR
Sure a hillshade is good, but holy cr@p this is cool:
Walker River narrows near Schurz, NV
geoWeb 2.0: Collaborative mapping
• Geology thrives on collaboration
• Attachments and e-mail threads are
inefficient
• Geologists are widely dispersed
• Huge research, teaching, and outreach
potential
• Meets rising tide of expectations
Simple Online collaborative mapping: Google’s ‘My Maps’
Nevada Digital Dirt Mapping Project: Phase 1
Compiled 100k Lines Unified Map…first cut
Geologic Data Portals…they already exist
http://geologicfroth.wordpress.com/
http://geofroth.posterous.com/
There’s more on
the internets!